so one of the things that's so horrifying about birth control is that you have to, like, navigate this incredibly personal choice about your body and yet also face the epitome of misogyny. like, someone in the comments will say it wasn't that bad for me, and you'll be utterly silenced. like, everyone treats birth control like something that's super dirty. like, you have no fucking information or control over this thing because certain powerful people find it icky.
first it was the oral contraceptives. you went on those young, mostly for reasons unrelated to birth control - even your dermatologist suggested them to control your acne. the list of side effects was longer than your arm, and you just stared at it, horrified.
it made you so mentally ill, but you just heard that this was adulthood. that, yes, there are of course side effects, what did you expect. one day you looked up yasmin makes me depressed because surely this was far too intense, and you discovered that over 12,000 lawsuits had been successfully filed against the brand. it remains commonly prescribed on the open market. you switched brands a few times before oral contraceptives stopped being in any way effective. your doctor just, like, shrugged and said you could try a different brand again.
and the thing is that you're a feminist. you know from your own experience that birth control can be lifesaving, and that even when used for birth control - it is necessary healthcare. you have seen it save so many people from such bad situations, yourself included. it is critical that any person has access to birth control, and you would never suggest that we just get rid of all of it.
you were a little skeeved out by the implant (heard too many bad stories about it) and figured - okay, iud. it was some of the worst pain you've ever fucking experienced, and you did it with a small number of tylenol in your system (3), like you were getting your bikini line waxed instead of something practically sewn into your body.
and what's wild is that because sometimes it isn't a painful insertion process, it is vanishingly rare to find a doctor that will actually numb the area. while your doctor was talking to you about which brand to choose, you were thinking about the other ways you've been injured in your life. you thought about how you had a suspicious mole frozen off - something so small and easy - and how they'd numbed a huge area. you thought about when you broke your wrist and didn't actually notice, because you'd thought it was a sprain.
your understanding of pain is that how the human body responds to injury doesn't always relate to the actual pain tolerance of the person - it's more about how lucky that person is physically. maybe they broke it in a perfect way. maybe they happened to get hurt in a place without a lot of nerve endings. some people can handle a broken femur but crumble under a sore tooth. there's no true way to predict how "much" something actually hurts.
in no other situation would it be appropriate for doctors to ignore pain. just because someone can break their wrist and not feel it doesn't mean no one should receive pain meds for a broken wrist. it just means that particular person was lucky about it. it should not define treatment.
in the comments of videos about IUDs, literally thousands of people report agony. blinding, nauseating, soul-crushing agony. they say things like i had 2 kids and this was the worst thing i ever experienced or i literally have a tattoo on my ribs and it felt like a tickle. this thing almost killed me or would rather run into traffic than ever feel that again.
so it's either true that every single person who reports severe pain is exaggerating. or it's true that it's far more likely you will experience pain, rather than "just a pinch." and yet - there's nothing fucking been done about it. it kind of feels like a shrug is layered on top of everything - since technically it's elective, isn't it kind of your fault for agreeing to select it? stop being fearmongering. stop being defensive.
you fucking needed yours. you are almost weirdly protective of it. yours was so important for your physical and mental health. it helped you off hormonal birth control and even started helping some of your symptoms. it still fucking hurt for no fucking reason.
once while recovering from surgery, they offered you like 15 days of vicodin. you only took 2 of them. you've been offered oxy for tonsillitis. you turned down opioids while recovering from your wisdom tooth extraction. everything else has the option. you fucking drove yourself home after it, shocked and quietly weeping, feeling like something very bad had just happened. the nurse that held your hand during the experience looked down at you, tears in her eyes, and said - i know. this is cruelty in action.
and it's fucked up because the conversation is never just "hey, so the way we are doing this is fucking barbaric and doctors should be required to offer serious pain meds" - it's usually something around the lines of "well, it didn't kill you, did it?"
you just found out that removing that little bitch will hurt just as bad. a little pinch like how oral contraceptives have "some" serious symptoms. like your life and pain are expendable or not really important. like maybe we are all hysterical about it?
hysteria comes from the latin word for uterus, which is great!
you stand here at a crossroads. like - this thing is so important. did they really have to make it so fucking dangerous. and why is it that if you make a complaint, you're told - i didn't even want you to have this in the first place. we're told be careful what you wish for. we're told that it's our fault for wanting something so illict; we could simply choose not to need medication. that maybe if we don't like the scraps, we should get ready to starve.
we have been saying for so long - "i'm not asking you to remove the option, i'm asking you to reconsider the risk." this entire time we hear: well, this is what you wanted, isn't it?
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The Devil You Share a Room With
A/N: This is a shameless presentation of my weakness for bathing scenarios. Includes water sex and all the sloppy joys that come with it.
Alternative title: Bed Bath & Beyond
Summary: Tav got separated from her group in the chaos of the Shadow-cursed Lands. Pressing forward by her lonesome she comes upon Last Light Inn where she hopes to either reunite with her companions or take shelter for the night in one of the rooms. She finds neither, for the last offered lodging has just been taken up by a gentleman of the infernal persuasion. But Raphael is ever willing to strike a bargain.
Among the inn’s guests Tav found not a trace of her friends. Shame. She would have to continue her search on the morrow or await the party’s arrival at Last Light. The latter was probably the wiser option, so why not use the opportunity to take comfort in the tavern’s warmth and a welcome change to her lonely journey?
She approached the proprietor, standing behind a desk and polishing a cup. To her asking for a room Jaheira shook her head. ‘Sorry, all’s full up. We don’t offer much lodging to begin with. One of the rooms is reserved for Isobel, so she can work her magic over this area in peace, and the other one has just been taken up by a gentleman who also arrived here by his lonesome. The best I can offer is a straw bed in the stables.’
Tav was not relishing the thought of sleeping outside, stable or not. The prospect of making camp without the safety of her allies amidst the fog and shadows did not sit well with her. At her troubled face Jaheira offered another solution: ‘Or you could try and talk with the gentleman I mentioned.’ She regarded her from head to toe. ‘A pretty young thing like you asking all nice, who knows? Maybe he will give it up to you. He certainly seems the type.’
Jaheira had pointed her in the direction of the man in question and Tav approached the secluded corner of the inn, but immediately lost all hope once she saw who it was.
‘And whatever would you need a room in this place for?’ she asked, crossing her arms in confrontation.
Raphael looked up at her, visibly amused. ‘Ah, my favourite future client! How good it is to see you, and to walk into my arms without any of your annoying little friends as well. This must be my lucky day.’
Tav only glared at the devil who sat in front of a game of lanceboard, no one to play with in sight. She was still waiting for him to answer her question.
‘Surely you’d understand,’ he said. ‘I’m in as much need of a place to stay and rest my weary bones as you are.’
‘Then why don’t you just snap your fingers and return to your domain?’
Amusement danced around his eyes and lips. ‘I’m on a holiday.’ At her silent disregard of his little quip he continued: ‘The area is full of rich history and plenty of opportunity. In fact it has put me in good enough a mood to reconsider my claim to a room in this charming and cozy retreat of the unfortunate souls wandering about.’
Raphael gestured towards the chair across from him and Tav took seat.
‘Play with me,’ he said. ‘Beat me at a game of lanceboard – fair and truly, and you shall have the place.’
She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘So we are gambling over a room which you don’t actually need? Can’t I just buy it from you?’
‘Oh, come on now. Where would be the fun in that?’
‘Fine.’
The devil ordered drinks for the both of them and they started playing.
Tav looked over the miniature battlefield, at her figures, and then at Raphael’s. She sighed. ‘Well, I guess there goes my hope for a night spent under a roof… Apart from the one in the stables that is. Congratulations, Raphael.’
‘Ah, fear not, my dear. Not many can say to have come so close in beating a devil at lanceboard and besides, I’ve only got a good thousand years of practice to boot.’
‘Then thank you for the enlightening experience,’ she said and finished her drink. ‘I’ll walk the mile of shame towards the cattle.’
‘Not so hasty, little mouse. Not so hasty. There’s still a consolation price for the brave heroine to be had.’
‘Which is?’
‘Let’s just say I’m willing to accommodate to the humble condition this estate offers and have an inclination to… share my lodging with you.’
He stretched one of his long legs and lightly brushed hers, seemingly by accident.
Tav huffed in astonishment. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘Just think on the warmth I could have offered once you try to make yourself comfortable on the straw besides the livestock.’
She stormed outside.
The night did not go well. As if fate would see fit to see her punished for her dealings with the infernal a bitter cold struck the lands, followed by an unsettling thunderstorm to which Tav awoke constantly, her rest not made easier by the bite of the frost and the animals’ racket at the state of the weather. The wooden roof of the stable did little to shelter her from the pouring rain. Finally she grabbed her equipment and made her way back to the inn. Better to sleep somewhere on the floor than outside in this chaos.
There were quite a few guests who had passed out where they sat. Some still chattered quietly with each other, indulging in their drinks and company, only sparing Tav a quick look, then returning to their business. Raphael was not among them. Maybe he had left for good, coming here for the sole purpose of toying with Tav, never meaning to spend the night here at all.
She went up the stairs, ignoring the room she knew to be Isobel’s and approached the door to the one that belonged to the devil. And if he was there after all? Tav might just have to wing it, like she usually did.
Tentatively she knocked. Nothing. Luck was on her side. Relief spread through her entire body, followed by glee at the prospect of spending the rest of the night in a warm and dry room all to herself. With a huge grin on her face Tav entered the room, but the joy on her face froze in place as she saw what awaited inside.
‘I’m sorry, did you hear me say “Come in”?’ Raphael was lounging inside a lavish bathtub in the middle of the room, the place lit by the fires of a heating stove and a few candles loosely spread about.
‘Um, excuse me, I… I’d hoped you might’ve left already.’ Her mind was telling her to make herself scarce, run and not spare the devil and this godsforsaken room another thought, but she found that she could not quite avert her eyes from the scene before her. Raphael had only ever presented himself to her in the most formal attire and to now see him in this state of undress did… things to her body. Things her mind was powerless against.
‘Hoped I might have left,’ he said. ‘How sad to hear. And here I was thinking you might take me up on my kind offer after all.’ He looked her up and down. ‘You sure look like a nice hot bath could do you some good.’
She wanted to decline, like she did earlier tonight. It would be the wise thing to do. But the steam rising from the tub in contrast to her shivering limbs had the logical part of her brain reduced to a quivering lonely tadpole.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘I accept. I will… um, wait until you’re finished.’
‘Oh, that could take hours, my dear,’ the devil sighed. ‘I do so enjoy a long relaxing bath after a hard day’s work, and with no one about to help me wash… Who knows when this will be over?’ He must be joking. ‘I promise to help you in turn.’
Tav stood staring at a smirking Raphael. When she finally found her voice again the words came out weak: ‘You’re asking me to… join you?’
Raphael trailed his finger through the water. ‘This tub is big enough for the both of us I believe, and the water is o so pleasantly warm. Come on, Tav, and let us both indulge in it.’
Abandoning all sense of self-preservation she started stripping, well aware of the devil’s keen gaze on her. She shivered, not from the cold now, but with excitement. The thought of being so close – naked at that – with Raphael intoxicated her more than the hardest liquor ever could.
When she was done undressing she climbed into the tub. Raphael smiled at her while she adjusted her legs, careful not to make contact with his nether region, but it was near impossible to not brush her legs against his. Tav found she hardly wanted to miss the sensation.
The warmth of the water spread through her, drawing a deep sigh from her lips and whilst she inhaled she took notice of a most wonderful scent: A strong whiff of cherries, pepper, and palmarosa. How much of these pleasant sensations, both the smell and temperature, might be conjured up by the devil present, she wondered.
‘There,’ Raphael said. ‘Much better, don’t you think?’
‘Mhmm,’ Tav mumbled as she slowly let her eyes drift shut.
Suddenly they flew open again. Raphael had started to put a piece of soap to work along her left leg, followed by a gentle trailing of his fingers along the skin with his free hand. He halted at her silent protest. ‘Do you want me to stop?’
Hells no. His touch was bliss. Tav shook her head. ‘Please, do go on, if you will.’
He smiled at her. ‘With pleasure.’ And pleasure he gave.
Despite his infernal origin the caresses he administered were heavenly, drawing soft circles around her inner thigh, and moans from her lips. It was pure rapture to her weary body.
‘Don’t stop, Raphael. Please, more…’
‘Oh, you want more, dearest? Why, you’re in luck, for there is more to come.’ And he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her left knee, then moving to the right, and kissing it in turn. How could she ever think to refuse him? The rain outside went on, and now it seemed to Tav like a blessing, for it had sent her here.
Raphael kept on working his washing and gentle strokes on her right leg, his hand on her inner thigh moving ever further and further… Was he–? Two of his long elegant fingers had found their way between her folds, and Tav’s arm shot out to hold onto his. The devil stopped his magic once more and looked at her with his deep brown eyes. ‘More?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ Tav said, nodding.
Raphael started working his fingers inside her once more, and her now aching cunt welcomed them, drawing them nearer and nearer towards her innermost core. She still held onto his arm and Raphael inched closer, putting his other hand atop her knee, the piece of soap now all but forgotten, drifting in the water. He put his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply, hungrily devouring her moans while paying further attention to her clit, adding attentive strokes with his thumb. She could feel his throbbing cock brush against her quivering leg and Tav sneaked her free arm around his neck, burying her hand in his soft curls, and scratching his scalp with her nails while drawing him closer. All she wanted right now was have him be close to her.
Her oncoming orgasm was noticeably rising within her and she moaned Raphael’s name in thanks. But then he stopped.
The devil removed his fingers from her, drawing back to once again lean against his side of the tub. A few hairs were out of place but other than that he looked as immaculate as always. She herself must seem a mess. ‘Why did you stop?’ How dare he leave her in such frustration?
‘I think it’s time you start earning your stay. Don’t you agree?’ She would swipe that damnable smirk from his lips, leave him as much a moaning mess as he did her. Oh, she would do so much more than earn her stay. That her thoughts made her seem no more than a common harlot no longer held any power over her.
Tav moved forward, Raphael handing her the piece of soap and spreading his legs to make room for her. She started working on his chest, letting it glide over the fluff of hair on his body, her other hand paying attention to his side, softly caressing him, briefly wondering if the devil would prefer a firmer touch. A pleased sigh from him told her that her ministrations were just right. While her movements wandered over his stomach towards his bellybutton and below she leaned in to him, planting kisses on his neck and Adam’s apple, trailing them along his jaw and chin as she listened to the sweet sounds coming from him.
As she approached his nether region she changed course though, swiping the soap gently along his right calf, then the left, moving closer and closer just as he had done.
‘Such a tease,’ Raphael said in between moans. ‘I think we’ve both had enough washing now.’ He grabbed her by the flanks and drew her into his lap. Tav smiled, there was no place she’d rather be right now.
He adjusted her position, the tip of his hard cock brushing along her folds. Looking into his eyes there was desire and Tav knew hers reflected the same nature, but she also found hesitation, a silent plea for permission, and so she herself started lowering down, taking him fully, letting Raphael know just how much she wanted this. They moaned their pleasure in unison.
Holding onto his shoulders she rode him, water splashing about, hitting the floor around the tub. Tav didn’t care. It didn’t matter if they made a mess of the room, all she knew was that Raphael was still moaning beneath her, enjoying her movement on his cock, his hands guiding her, his hip arching upwards to find more friction, and that was her entire world right now.
She leaned forward to find his lips again, an action made harder by their mutual rutting. Noses brushed against each other and their kiss was as sloppy as it was passionate.
Raphael started pounding into her, both of them close in reaching their climax. Still finding enough strength in her Tav brushed her fingers over his flush cheek. ‘Oh, sweet Raphael. Tell me, have I earned my stay, fair and truly?’
The affirmation was given in groaning, his cock still hitting her walls in all the right places, and in a wuthering wave of water splashing all around them, Tav and Raphael moaning each others’ names in zealous praising, they both finally found their release.
The pair stayed like that in silence for a minute or two, the only sound in the room their exasperated breathing and the crackling of the fire in the corner. Tav noticed that it had stopped raining.
She laid her head on Raphael’s heaving chest, trailing a finger along his arm now resting on the edge of the tub. There was barely any water left to fully cover their bodies.
Finally they found it in them to move, Raphael gently guiding her out of the bathtub, for the floor around it was drenched in water that had been in the way of their pleasure. The devil snapped his fingers and all was gone along with the tub itself. Tav wrinkled her brow, she should have known that such an expensive looking and enormous piece of furniture was not a part of the inn’s equipment.
Raphael led her towards the bed, throwing the covers over them both and drawing her closer. Tav gladly accepted the invitation.
Before she drifted off to sleep, curled atop the devil she shared a room with, she heard Raphael whispering into her ear: ‘You know, once you reach Baldur’s Gate… I’m afraid there will be plenty of inns and taverns with more than enough rooms to choose from.’
Once again she leaned upwards to plant a kiss upon his lips. ‘I’ll make sure to find yours,’ she said.
In her dream Tav lost a thousand games of lanceboard, and welcomed each and every one of them.
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